Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, 10 points behind with two races remaining and the only man who can deny Vettel the title, set only the ninth quickest time in qualifying.

Alonso will move up to eighth on the starting grid, and right behind team mate Felipe Massa in sixth, due to a five place penalty imposed on Lotus' Romain Grosjean for an unscheduled gearbox change.'A FANTASTIC START'

Alonso, who will have no problems getting ahead of Massa, will however have to start on the 'dirty' side of the grid.

Vettel, who dominated all three practice sessions at the sport's newest venue, will have McLaren's Lewis Hamilton alongside on the front row.

Hamilton, winner of the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis in 2007, was just a tenth of a second slower.

Vettel said: "It was a bit closer than I wanted, but fantastic to start on the front and on the clean side.

Red Bull are set to clinch the constructors' title for the third year in a row on November 18 and have Mark Webber, Vettel's team mate, in third place on the grid with Kimi Raikkonen fourth for Lotus.

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